BIOGRAPHIES: ROBERT C. STEMPEL, GENERAL MOTORS
Note to Editors:
For your information, following are formal and informal biographies of Robert C. Stempel.
ROBERT C. STEMPEL
Robert C. Stempel became chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors Corporation on August 1, 1990. He serves as chairman of the Board's Finance Committee and as a member of its Executive Committee. Prior to his election, he had been president and chief operating officer since September 1, 1987.
Mr. Stempel had served as executive vice president of General Motors and a member of the Corporation's Board of Directors since February 3, 1986. In that position he had responsibility for both the worldwide Truck & Bus Group and the Overseas Group.
At the time of his election to the GM Board of Directors, he was vice president and group executive in charge of the Buick-Oldsmobile- Cadillac Group, a post he had held since January 1984.
Mr. Stempel was born July 15, 1933, in Trenton, N.J. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts in 1955. He was granted a master's degree in business administration by Michigan State University in 1970.
After joining GM's Oldsmobile Division as a senior detailer in the chassis design department in 1958, Mr. Stempel held various positions with Oldsmobile: senior designer (1962); transmission design engineer (1964); motor engineer (1969); and assistant chief engineer (1972).
Mr. Stempel was appointed special assistant to the president of General Motors in 1973. He joined the engineering department of the Chevrolet Division as chief engineer - engines and components in 1974 and was named Chevrolet's director of engineering in 1975.
On November 6, 1978, Mr. Stempel was appointed general manager of the Pontiac Motor Division and elected a vice president of General Motors. In September 1980, he was appointed managing director of Adam Opel AG in the Federal Republic of Germany, with responsibility for European-sourced passenger-car operations. Two years later he was named general manager of Chevrolet.
Mr. Stempel is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Election to the Academy is considered among the highest professional distinctions accorded an engineer. He is also a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Engineering Society of Detroit.
He is the first chairman of the American Quality Foundation, developed by the American Society for Quality Control. Mr. Stempel is a member of the board of directors and chairman of the following organizations: the National Industrial Advisory Council to the Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, Inc.; the National Minority Supplier Development Council; and the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association. He also serves on the boards of directors of the Highway Users Federation and the United Way of Southeastern Michigan.
Mr. Stempel is a member of The Conference Board, The Business Roundtable, and The Business Council. He is a trustee of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Detroit Renaissance, and New Detroit, Inc.
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ROBERT C. STEMPEL
Following is informal biographical material on Mr. Stempel:
A summer job as a mechanic in a New Jersey garage led Robert C. Stempel to a lifelong career in the automobile business and the chairmanship of General Motors on August 1, 1990.
Bob credits his "hands-on" experience as a teenager working for an independent service garage in Bloomfield, N.J., for fueling his interest in cars. That combined with the fact that his family always owned Chevrolets and Pontiacs pointed him in the direction of Detroit and GM.
Born in Trenton, N.J., July 15, 1933, he was one of four children. His brother Jack works in aerospace, brother Ted is a teacher, and a sister, Dorothy, is a social worker. His father, Carl, a banker, and his mother, Eleanor, are deceased.
Bob attended high school in Bloomfield, N.J. He met his future wife, Pat Bachmann, while he was attending college. They were married after he graduated.
Involved in several student activities in high school and college, he graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in l955. He was later awarded an honorary doctorate by Worcester and is a member of its Board of Trustees.
Following graduation, Bob spent two years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before joining GM at Oldsmobile in l958 to begin a multi- faceted career spanning more than 30 years.
One of his first assignments at Oldsmobile was designing a wheel. As he gained experience, Oldsmobile called on him to be part of the team to develop the l966 Toronado, the first American front-wheel-drive car in nearly 30 years. He was assigned to design the front suspension and develop the engine and transmission mounting system -- developments that he still considers among his proudest achievements as an engineer.
By l972, Bob had advanced to assistant chief engineer of the Oldsmobile car division, and he attended Michigan State University at night to get his M.B.A. In l973, the late GM President Ed Cole named him special assistant and asked him to coordinate development of emission control devices for passenger cars. That work led to the design of the catalytic converter which is now used on vehicles around the world to control exhaust emissions.
In l974, he was appointed chief engineer - engines and components for Chevrolet. He was appointed Chevrolet director of engineering in l975.
His first major management post came in l978 when he was named general manager of Pontiac and a GM vice president. During his tenure at Pontiac, design work began on the two-seat, plastic-body Fiero. That technology eventually was applied to GM's new family of all-purpose- vehicles (APVs).
Bob's first overseas experience came in l980 when he became managing director of Adam Opel AG in the Federal Republic of Germany with responsibility for European-sourced passenger car operations. He was noted for his friendly rapport with the Opel workers, and backed development of the car that became the strong-selling subcompact Kadett.
He returned to Detroit in 1982 when he was named general manager of Chevrolet. His managerial skills came to the forefront in l984 when GM began the massive reorganization of its North American automotive operations. Bob was named vice president and group executive in charge of the Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac group.
His management responsibilities were broadened in l986 when he was elected an executive vice president of GM and a member of the Corporation's Board of Directors. He assumed responsibility for the worldwide Truck & Bus Group and the Overseas Group. In 1987, he became president and chief operating officer.
In l990, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Election to the Academy is considered among the highest professional distinctions accorded an engineer.
Two of Bob's strongest beliefs are that teamwork is the key element to accomplish goals, and that quality must be a part of every aspect of business activity.
Away from work, his fascination with automobiles still prevails. He attends auto races and motorsports events, and tinkers with old cars in his spare time. One favorite is a l974 Corvette. He also enjoys skiing and surf-casting.
Bob and Pat Stempel have three children, a daughter Barbara and sons Timothy and Peter.
CONTACT: J.W. Crellin of General Motors, 313-556-2027.
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